Golf club head

ABSTRACT

A golf club head having good forgiveness and playability includes a body having an interior cavity, favorable aerodynamic profile and favorable CG location. The club head may include a crown having a peripheral edge located low relative to a ground plane, stepped down crown and overlying shroud, generally flat sole, inverted aft skirt section, aft cavity, cantilevered lightweight shroud, and/or two interior chambers, one of which may have an external opening.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/699,895, which was filed Sep. 8, 2017, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/975,117, which was filed on Dec. 18,2015, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/096,605, which was filed on Dec. 24, 2014, all of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a golf club head, and morespecifically to a wood-type club head such as a driver.

BACKGROUND

Golfers prefer golf clubs that exhibit performance characteristics suchas forgiveness and playability. One measure of “forgiveness” can bedefined as the ability of a golf club head to reduce the effects ofmis-hits, e.g., hits resulting from striking the golf ball at a lessthan ideal impact location on the golf club head, on flight trajectoryand shot distance. Greater forgiveness of the golf club head generallyequates to a higher probability of hitting a straight golf shot.“Playability” can be defined as the ease with which a golfer can use thegolf club head for producing accurate golf shots.

Golf club forgiveness is directly affected by the moments of inertia ofthe golf club head. A moment of inertia is a measure of the club head'sresistance to twisting about the golf club head's center-of-centergravity, for example on impact with a golf ball. In general, a moment ofinertia of a mass about a given axis is proportional to the square ofthe distance of the mass away from the axis. In other words, increasingthe distance of a mass from a given axis results in an increased momentof inertia of the mass about that axis. Higher golf club head moments ofinertia result in lower golf club head rotation on impact with a golfball, particularly on off-center impacts with a golf ball, e.g.,mis-hits. Lower rotation in response to a mis-hit results in a player'sperception that the club head is forgiving. Moreover, higher moments ofinertia typically result in greater ball speed on impact with the golfclub head, which can translate to increased golf shot distance.

SUMMARY

The application describes a metal wood-type (or hybrid-type) golf clubhaving a highly positioned upper surface to provide a favorableaerodynamic profile and counterbalancing features to maintain arelatively low CG and high MOI.

Different features and embodiments are described including a crownhaving a peripheral edge in relative close proximity to a ground planereference, crown made as a separate piece from a lighter weight materialthan the rest of the club head body, inverted aft cavity, flatter sole,extension member attached to an underside of a rear portion of the soleto add mass low and back on the club body, stepped down crown incombination with an overlying lightweight shroud to maintain a favorableaerodynamic profile, shroud that is cantilevered along at least aportion of its length and creates an open cavity between the shroud andstepped down crown, and/or one or more ribs in the interior of the bodyto provide selective reinforcement and tune acoustic properties of theclub head body.

Other features and embodiments include a golf club head having one ormore of the following features in combination:

-   -   a crown portion terminating at a peripheral ledge having a        lowest point at a mid-face cross section that is no greater than        11.1 mm, 11.9 mm, 12.1 mm or 12.3 mm from the ground plane;    -   an inverted skirt portion;    -   a drop down crown portion;    -   a shroud overlying at least a portion of the crown portion;    -   an interior having at least two enclosed chambers with one        chamber having an interior volume of about 20 to 50% of the        volume of the other chamber;    -   a drop contour area of about 1600 to 7800 mm², 3000 to 6000 mm²        or 4000 to 5000 mm²;    -   aft cavity that projects into the head's interior cavity about        20%, 30%, 40%, 50% or 60% of the depth of the club head;    -   open aft cavity that defines a volume of at least 10%, 20%, 30%,        40% or 50% of the club head's enclosed interior volume;    -   a drop down crown wherein at least 30%, 40%, 50% or 60% of the        crown's front to back length is located below a geometric center        of the strike plate;    -   a drop down crown and a shroud wherein the shroud overlies at        least 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% or 90% of the crown's front to back        length;    -   a Delta 1 of about 8 to 28 mm, preferably 11 to 25 mm or more        preferably about 14 to 22 mm;    -   a CG Projection of about −3 to 7 mm, −1 to 5 mm or 0 to 4 mm;    -   a CGz of about 2 to −10 mm, 0 to −8 mm or −2 to −6 mm;    -   a Z-up of about 20 to 36 mm, 23 to 33 mm or 25 to 31 mm;    -   Ixx of about 200 to 450 kg·mm², 230 to 390 kg·mm² or 260 to 320        kg·mm²;    -   Izz of about 300 to 600 kg·mm², 330 to 530 kg·mm² or 360 to 490        kg·mm²;    -   two-piece construction including as one piece a main body,        dropped down crown portion and sole portion made from a metal        alloy (such as titanium alloy, steel alloy, aluminum alloy or        magnesium alloy), and as a second piece a shroud made from a        lightweight material (such as composite material, glass fiber        reinforced polymers (GFRP), carbon fiber reinforced polymers        (CFRP), metal matrix composites (MMC) or other polymers). The        first piece may be cast and may include as an integral part of        the cast piece a strike plate; and/or    -   other features described in the detailed description.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of theinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and notlimitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which likereferences indicate similar elements.

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a conventional driver-typegolf club head.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a driver-type golf clubhead having an extended crown according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a driver-type golf clubhead according to an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a driver-type golf clubhead according to another alternative embodiment having an extendedcrown.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a driver-type golf clubhead according to an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a driver-type golf clubhead according to an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a driver-type golf clubhead according to an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a driver-type golf clubhead according to an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a driver-type golf clubhead according to an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a driver-type golf clubhead according to an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a driver-type golf clubhead according to an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of an embodiment similar to FIG. 8, andtaken from a toe side of the club head.

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a vertical cross-section of a drawer-type golf club headaccording to an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 15A is a perspective view of a driver-type golf club head accordingto another alternative embodiment.

FIG. 15B is a side elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 15A.

FIG. 15C is a bottom plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 15A.

FIG. 15D is a vertical cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG.15A, taken generally through a mid-section of the golf club head.

FIG. 15E is an exploded view of two components of the embodiment of FIG.15A.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view (largely from above) of the embodiment ofFIG. 15 with a portion of the crown removed.

FIG. 17 is a generally front elevation view of the club head of FIG. 16.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments and aspects of the disclosure will be described withreference to details discussed below, and the accompanying drawings willillustrate the various embodiments. The following description of thedrawings is illustrative of the disclosed embodiments and not to beconstrued as limiting the disclosure. Numerous specific details aredescribed to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments ofthe present disclosure. However, in certain instances, well-known orconventional details are not described in order to provide a concisediscussion of embodiments of the present disclosure.

A typical metal-wood golf club such as a fairway wood or driver includesa hollow shaft having a lower end to which a hollow club head isattached. FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional driver-type club head havinga hollow body to which a face place, or strike plate 14, is attached orintegrally formed. The body typically includes a hosel (see hosel 16 inFIGS. 12, 13) that extends generally upward and is connected to theshaft (not shown) of the club head. The body also includes a heel regionsituated close to the hosel (e.g., heel region 18 in FIG. 13), a toeregion situated opposite the heel region (e.g., toe region 20 in FIG.13), a sole (lower) region 22, and a crown (upper) region 24. A skirtportion extends around the periphery of the club head between the sole22 and crown 24 and excluding the strike plate 14. In some embodimentsthe skirt portion defines a transition area between the sole and crown,and overlaps portions of both. The body bears most of the impact loadimparted to the strike plate 14 when the club head strikes a golf ball.The strike plate 14 defines a front surface or strike face that actuallycontacts the golf ball. Opposite the front surface, the club head has arear or aft skirt portion 26 that bridges the space between the heel andtoe regions of the club head and is the most remote portion of the clubhead from the strike plate 14.

The body may be made of a metal alloy (e.g., an alloy of titanium, analloy of steel, an alloy of aluminum, and/or an alloy of magnesium), butalso can be made of a composite material, such as a graphitic composite,a ceramic material, or any combination thereof. The crown, sole andskirt can be integrally formed using a technique such as molding, coldforming, casting, and/or forging. The strike plate can be integrallyformed with the body or may be a separate piece attached to the body.The strike plate can be made of a composite material, metal alloy (e.g.,titanium, steel, aluminum, and/or magnesium), ceramic material or acombination of composite, metal alloy and/or ceramic materials. Strikeplates made at least partially of a composite material are described inU.S. Pat. Nos. 7,267,620, 7,140,974, 7,874,936, 7,874,937, and7,874,938, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.Further, the strike plate can have a variable thickness, as described inU.S. Pat. Nos. 6,997,820, 6,800,038, 6,824,475, and 7,066,832, which areincorporated by reference herein in their entirety. See, for example,the strike plate 14 k in FIG. 14

The mass of the club head is distributed so as to improve theforgiveness and other characteristics of the head. Forgiveness on a golfshot is generally maximized by configuring the golf club head such thatthe center of gravity (“CG”) of the golf club head is optimally locatedand the MOI of the golf club head is maximized. For example, it can bedesirable to configure the CG lower on the club head, nearer the sole.One countervailing factor however is that a relatively high crownprovides a more desirable aerodynamic profile for the club. But a highcrown, though desirable, also works against efforts to maintain a lowerCG. The aerodynamics of golf club heads are discussed in more detail inU.S. Pat. Nos. 8,777,773, 8,088,021, 8,540,586, 8,858,359, 8,597,137,8,771,101, 8,083,609, 8,550,936, 8,602,909, and 8,734,269, the teachingsof which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

Various different MOI values may be used to characterize the golf club.For example, MOI about the vertical axis (Izz) and MOI about the heeltoe axis (Ixx). Golf club head moments of inertia are typically definedabout 3 axes extending through the golf club head CG: (1) a CG z-axisextending through the CG in a generally vertical direction relative tothe ground; (2) a CG x-axis extending through the CG in a heel-to-toedirection generally parallel to the strike plate and generallyperpendicular to the CG z-axis; and (3) a CG y-axis extending throughthe CG in a front-to-back direction and generally perpendicular to theCG x-axis and the CG z-axis. The CG x-axis and the CG y-axis both extendin a generally horizontal direction relative to the ground when the clubhead is at the normal address position. Typically, however, the MOIabout z-axis (Izz) is most relevant to club head forgiveness. The MOIabout the x-axis (Ixx) also is important, especially at higher club headvolumes, while the MOI about the y-axis has less influence on golf clubforgiveness.

To achieve higher MOI's, the mass of the club head can be distributed,as much as possible, strategically around the periphery of the clubhead. The total mass of the club head can be considered the club head's“mass budget.” It is axiomatic that at least some of the mass bededicated to achieving the required strength and structural support ofthe club head. This is termed “structural” mass. Any mass remaining inthe budget is called “discretionary” or “performance” mass, which can bedistributed about the club head to maximize performance. Mass shift,properly executed, may be able to maximize Izz and Ixx together, ratherthan sacrificing one for the sake of the other.

The conventional metal-wood driver illustrated in FIG. 1 shows theenclosed hollow body of the club head, which is defined as the sole 22curves upwardly and the crown 24 curves downwardly to join one another.The sole and crown generally are concave surfaces that are inverted withrespect to one another and join one another along the skirt area.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 illustrates a club head having a strike plate14 a, sole 22 a, crown 24 a, and aft skirt portion 26 a. As one example,the entire head body may be made from a titanium or titanium alloyalthough other materials may be used as described herein. The crown 24 adrops down more steeply (or creates a steeper downward arc) than thedesign illustrated in FIG. 1, creating a “flatter” sole 22 a. This inturn creates an aft skirt portion 26 a that is lower than the aft skirtportion shown in FIG. 1.

It also means that the crown's peripheral edge (and thus a portion ofthe crown's surface area, especially in the rear or aft region) ispositioned relatively low with respect to a reference ground plane. Inone embodiment, the distance from the ground plane to the lowest pointon crown 24 a in a mid-face cross-section, referred to as GPD in FIG. 2,is no greater than about 11.9 mm. The distance from the ground plane tothe lowest point on crown at another location (along a side peripheraledge of the crown for example) may be even less, such as no greater thanabout 11.1 mm for example.

The embodiment of FIG. 3 is similar in shape and proportion to the clubhead of FIG. 1, and includes a strike plate 14 b, sole 22 b, crown 24 b,and aft skirt portion 26 b. The club head further includes an aftextension 28 attached to an aft portion of the sole 22 b by adhesivebonding or other securing means. The extension 28 generally has two legportions, one of which extends generally parallel to the ground plane onwhich the club head rests in the address position and the other of whichis coupled to a raised portion of the sole proximate to the aft skirtportion 26 b.

The extension 28 adds mass low and aft on the club head and therebyshifts the CG of the club head in a direction that is lower and morerearward. A CG shifted lower on the CG z-axis and more rearward on theCG y-axis can help improve forgiveness and playability of the club headin many designs.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment having a strike plate 14 c,sole 22 c, crown 24 c, and aft skirt portion 26 c. It furtherillustrates that the crown 24 c may be a separate piece that is securedto the club head body, rather than an integral extension or integralpart of the club head body. In this embodiment, the crown 24 c easilycan be made of a different material, such as a graphitic composite, thanthe rest of the club head body. In this way, the crown can be madelighter and the resulting discretionary mass savings strategicallyallocated to other parts of the body. By way of example, an upperportion of the strike plate 14 c may be formed to create a ledge orshelf to seat (or receive) a leading edge of the crown 24 c. The ledgeor shelf creates a recess that approximates the thickness of the crown24 c to provide a smooth transition surface from the upper portion ofthe strike plate 14 c to the crown 24 c. A trailing edge of the crownmay be secured to the sole in the aft skirt portion area by an internallap joint in which the crown 24 c and sole 22 c overlap. The crown 24 cmay be secured at its leading and trailing edges to the head body by anadhesive bond or other known fastening techniques.

The crown 24 c is extended downwardly compared to typical crowns, suchthat the crown's peripheral edge drops down to a lower point beforejoining the upturned sole 22 c. This configuration promotes a flattersole and moves a portion of the crown's peripheral edge closer to thebottom of the sole. The distance between the crown's peripheral edge andthe closest point to a ground plane on which the club head rests in anaddress position is designated GPD for “ground plane distance.” The GPDpreferably is no greater than about 11.9 mm in one embodiment, asmeasured from the crown's lowest point in a mid-face cross-section asshown in FIG. 4. The GPD at other points on the crown's peripheral edge(along a toe or heel edge of the crown for example) may be even less,such as no greater than about 11.1 mm for example. In other embodiments,the GDP at the mid-face cross-section (see FIG. 4) is no greater thanabout 12.3 mm, no greater than about 12.1 mm or no greater than about11.7 mm.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment having a strike plate 14 d,sole 22 d, composite (for example) crown 24 d, and aft skirt portion 26d. The crown 24 d preferably is a separate piece affixed to the headbody using the recess and internal lap joint technique described inconnection with FIG. 4. In contrast to FIG. 4, however, the illustratedembodiment has an inverted aft skirt portion 26 d that creates an aftcavity 30 d. The aft cavity 30 d is created by forming the aft skirtportion in an “S” configuration and securing an upper edge of the aftskirt portion to the crown 24 d using an internal lap joint as describedabove.

The aft cavity 30 d has an opening or mouth that projects (at least inpart) generally rearwardly. The aft cavity itself is relatively shallowcompared to the size and volume of the club head body's large hollowinterior. The aft cavity projects into the hollow interior a modestfraction of the head's depth from front to back as, for example, about ⅛of the depth. The geometry and position of the aft cavity allows a largesurface area of the sole 22 d to remain relatively flat and close to theground plane. The flatter sole contributes to a lower CG for the headbody, promoting better performance. In addition, the configuration shownallows the trailing edge of the crown to terminate closer to the groundplane (i.e., smaller GDP) in a way that also promotes ease ofmanufacture.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment having a strike plate 14 e,sole 22 e, composite (for example) crown 24 e and inverted aft skirtportion 26 e. Except as noted, this embodiment is similar inconstruction to the embodiment of FIG. 5 and includes a separate crown24 e, relatively flat sole 22 e, and aft cavity 30 e. In contrast to theFIG. 5 embodiment, however, the aft cavity 30 e formed by the invertedskirt portion 26 e is created by forming the aft skirt portion in a “C”configuration and securing an upper edge of the aft skirt portion to thecrown 24 e using an external lap joint. In other words, the aft skirtportion undergoes fewer turns such that the skirt edge attached to thecrown 24 e at the external lap joint is external to the hollow interiorof the club head body, rather than internal as shown in FIG. 5. In bothembodiments, however, the trailing edge of the crown in the aft regionis directly supported by and attached to the inverted aft skirt portion.

Like the FIG. 5 embodiment, the aft cavity 30 e shown in FIG. 6 isrelatively shallow and projects into the hollow interior about ⅛ of thedepth of the club head body. Similarly, the FIG. 6 embodiment has arelatively flat sole for much of its length from front to back,contributing to a lower CG for the club head. The FIG. 6 embodiment alsopositions the crown closer to the ground plane (i.e., smaller GPD) in away that is simpler to manufacture.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment having a strike plate 14 f, sole 22 f,composite (for example) crown 24 f, and aft skirt portion 26 f. Exceptas noted, this embodiment is similar in construction to the embodimentsof FIGS. 5 and 6, and includes a separate (non-integral) crown 24 f,relatively flat sole 22 f, and aft cavity 30 f. However, in contrast toFIGS. 5 and 6, the aft cavity 30 f formed by the inverted skirt portion26 f is created by forming the aft skirt portion in a “L” configurationand securing an upper edge of the aft skirt portion to the crown 24 fusing an internal lap joint located a distance inset from an aftperipheral edge of the crown 24 f. In other words, the inverted skirtportion terminates at an inward turn to create an internal lap joint,and the inset attachment of the aft skirt portion to the crown creates ashort cantilevered section at the aft peripheral edge of the crown. Theaft cavity 30 f, however, continues to have a rearwardly directedopening (or mouth) and defines a volume that is a small fraction of theclub head's enclosed interior volume. The aft cavity 30 f projects intothe hollow interior a small fraction of the depth of the club head bodyas, for example, about 1/7 to ⅛ of the depth of the club head from itsforward-most edge to its rearward-most edge. As FIG. 7 shows, an aftportion of the crown 24 f is cantilevered and not directly coupled to asupport element. As with embodiments described above, the sole 22 f isrelatively flat from front to back and remains in contact with or closeto the ground plane on which the club head rests in the addressposition, contributing to a lower CG of the club head.

FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative embodiment having a strike plate 14 g,sole 22 g, crown 24 g, and aft skirt portion 26 g. In contrast to someof the embodiments just discussed, the crown 24 g is an integralextension of the main club head body and steps down moderately as thecrown extends rearwardly toward the aft skirt portion 26 g. Unlike priorembodiments, the crown 24 g drops down and presents a generally convexsurface to the hollow interior of the club head, rather than a concavesurface as with the embodiments described above. In the area where thecrown 24 g joins the strike plate 14 g, an annular recess or ledge isformed in the crown (similar to the one heretofore described) to receivea shroud 30 g which provides a smooth arcuate rearward extension of thestrike plate 14. The shroud generally occupies the position of atraditionally situated crown. The shroud 30 g preferably is made from alightweight composite material or other materials lighter than thematerial used for the rest of the club head body. As FIG. 8 shows, theshroud 30 g has a large cantilevered portion and is supported betweenits front and aft peripheral edges by a rib 34 g that extends betweenand is coupled to both the shroud 30 g and crown 24 g. The rib 34 g maybe used to adjust or tune acoustic properties of the club head body andmay have different curvatures or other shapes, may be coupled to theshroud and crown at other locations, may be formed of differentmaterials, and may have varying material properties such as flexibility,strength, damping and the like.

The step down crown 24 g and shroud 30 g create a large cavity 32 g thatdefines a much larger volume than prior embodiments and preferablyprojects far more deeply into what would otherwise be the hollowinterior of the club head body. The cavity 32 g preferably projectsinwardly over 50% of the depth of the club head, as measured from theclub head body's leading edge to trailing edge. In other embodiments,the aft cavity may project inwardly about 20%, about 30%, about 40% orabout 60% of the depth of the club head.

In some embodiments, the open aft cavity 32 g defines a volume (using animaginary plane to close the opening between the rearmost point on thesole and rearmost point on the shroud) that is at least 10% of thevolume of the club head's enclosed interior, at least 20% of the volumeof the club head's enclosed interior, at least 30% of a club head'senclosed interior, at least 40% of the club head's enclosed interior orat last 50% of the club head's enclosed interior.

The club head body of FIG. 8 provides a lowered, step-down or drop crown24 g in which a large expanse of the crown's surface (which may be madeof titanium, titanium alloy or other material) is dropped or steppeddown substantially in comparison to traditional driver crowns, therebysignificantly lowering the CG of the club head to enhance performance,forgivability and playability. Such drop down construction, however, canhave a deleterious effect on the sound emitted by the club head when aball is struck as well as on the appearance of the club head (which somegolfers may find an unwelcome departure from the traditional look of adriver). The shroud 30 g, which can be made from a lightweight materialsuch as a composite material, gives the head a more traditionalappearance when viewed from above while mitigating the adverse effectcaused on the CG by a component situated high on the body of the clubhead. The shroud and rib 34 g together also allow the sound and acousticproperties associated with a conventional driver-type club head to be atleast substantially replicated. Generally, it is desirable to maintainall peak frequency modes above 3000 Hz, preferably about 3500 to 3700Hz.

FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment having a strike plate 14 h,sole 22 h, step-down crown 24 h and aft skirt portion 26 h. Except asnoted, the illustrated embodiment is similar to the FIG. 8 embodimentjust described. The crown 24 h (in one embodiment) may be an integralpart of the club head body such that the crown 24 h, strike plate 14 hand sole 22 h are made of a common material, such as titanium, titaniumalloy or other material. In comparison to the FIG. 8 embodiment, thecrown 24 h has a more extreme stepped down portion starting at a pointproximate to an upper edge of the strike plate 14 h. As the crown 24 hdrops down steeply and extends rearwardly it reaches a mid-section ofthe club head, where it levels off and eventually joins the sole 22 h ata skirt portion that is situated relatively low relative to the bottomof the sole (as well as the ground plane on which the club head rests inthe address position). In this way, a large surface area of the crown 24h (and mass it represents) is positioned much lower in the club headbody than traditional crowns, thereby significantly lowering the CG ofthe club head. Also, unlike conventional crowns, the crown 24 h presentsa substantially convex surface to the enclosed hollow interior of theclub head.

As with the FIG. 8 embodiment, in the area where the crown 24 h joinsthe strike plate 14 h, an annular recess or ledge is formed in the crownto receive a shroud 30 h. The shroud provides a smooth, continuousarcuate extension of the upper portion of the strike plate 14 h. Theshroud 30 h is preferably made of a composite or other lightweightmaterial and occupies a position and orientation typical of atraditional crown in a driver-type club head. The shroud 30 h is similarin shape, orientation and curvature to the shroud 30 g in FIG. 8, andalso is highly cantilevered like the shroud 30 g. In contrast, however,the shroud 30 h cooperates with the crown 24 h to define a significantlylarger aft cavity 32 h due to the much steeper stepped-downconfiguration of the crown 24 h. The aft cavity 32 h has a rearwardlyfacing opening (at least in part) and defines a volume about twice thatof the aft cavity 32 g (the volume being determined by closing thecavity opening with an imaginary plane connecting the closest pointsbetween the peripheral edge of the shroud 30 h and peripheral edge ofthe sole 22 h). The aft cavity occupies a volume that preferably isabout 30% to 100% of the volume of the underlying main interior chamberof the club head, as defined by the crown 24 h, strike plate 14 h, andsole 22 h.

The club head preferably includes ribs 34 h, 36 h, 40 h and 42 h. Therib 36 h is coupled at one end to a relatively flat aft portion of thecrown 24 h and at its other end to a steeply inclined forward portion ofthe crown 24 h. The rib 34 h preferably is coupled at one end to an aftportion of the rib 36 h and at its other end to an aft portion of thecantilevered shroud 30 h. The ribs 34 h and 36 h are located in the aftcavity 32 h. The rib 40 h preferably is located in the head's maininterior chamber, and is coupled at one end to a steep forward portionof the crown 24 h and at its other end to a location proximate to wherethe crown 24 h joins the faceplate 14 h. The rib 42 h likewise islocated in the head's main interior chamber, and preferably is coupledat one end to a relatively flat centrally-located portion of the crown24 h and at its other end to the sole 22 h. It will be appreciated thatthe ribs 34 h, 36 h, 40 h, 42 h may have varying physical attributes,such as shape, material, strength, flexibility, damping properties andother material properties, and may be coupled at their ends to alternatelocations on various structural components of the club head. Forexample, in FIG. 9 the ribs 36 h, 40 h are shown as substantially linearor planar reinforcing elements while the ribs 34 h, 42 h are shown asarcuate linear or curvilinear reinforcing elements.

The ribs provide a way to easily and flexibly reinforce certain parts ofthe club head and, equally important, adjust or fine tune the acousticproperties of the club head to approximate the acoustic properties of atraditional driver-type club. In addition, the shroud 30 h gives theclub head a look similar to traditional driver-type clubs, especiallywhen viewed from the top, while allowing the mass associated with thecrown 24 h to be lowered considerably, thereby lowering the CG of theclub head and improving the club head's forgivability and playability.

FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative embodiment having a strike plate 14i, sole 22 i, step-down crown 24 i and aft skirt portion 26 i. The crown24 i, like the crown 24 g of FIG. 8, is an integral extension of themain club head body and steps down moderately as it extends rearwardlytoward the aft skirt portion 26 i and eventually joins the sole 22 i.The crown 24 i has a similar configuration as the crown 24 g andpresents a moderate convex surface to the main interior chamber of theclub head. Unlike the crown 24 g, the crown 24 i preferably has aplurality of openings 44 formed in its surface to reduce the crown'smass.

In the area where the crown 24 i joins the strike plate 14 i, an annularrecess or ledge is formed in the crown to receive an upper crown 46 (orshroud) which provides a smooth, arcuate surface extending rearwardlyfrom the strike plate 14 i. The upper crown 46 preferably is made of acomposite or other lightweight material and generally occupies theposition of a conventionally situated crown. The upper crown 46 also maybe considered a shroud because it hides or covers the space overlyingthe stepped-down crown 24 i. Unlike the shroud 30 g or 30 h, however,the upper crown or shroud 46 is not cantilevered, but rather has an aftsection that is turned back on itself by about 180 degrees to form aninverted aft skirt portion 26 i and is secured by adhesion or otherwiseto the crown 24 i at an internal lap joint 48.

The upper crown or shroud 46 cooperates with the crown 24 i to define anaft or upper chamber 50. The upper chamber 50 overlies a substantialportion of the club head's main interior chamber as, for example, atleast 50% of the front to back length of the main interior chamber.Unlike the aft cavities described above, the upper chamber 50 is fullyenclosed and does not have an external rearwardly facing opening ormouth.

The club head may have one or more interior ribs of varying physical orother properties/characteristics, as described above, including, forexample, a single arcuate rib 52 joined at one end to the upper crown 46and at its other end to a location proximate to the lap joint (either byattaching to the turned back portion of the upper crown 46 itself or tothe crown 24 i). It will be appreciated that the rib 52 can be coupledto the club head at other locations or to other structural members aspart of a fine-tuning process.

The crown 24 i's stepped down or drop-down configuration lowers the CGof the club head and enhances performance. The stepped down crown 24 ipresents a convex surface to the main interior chamber of the club head.The composite upper crown or shroud 46 and its inverted configurationcreates a second fully enclosed interior space, cavity or chamber thatprovides an alternative way of adjusting the acoustic properties of theclub head because the club head no longer has a cavity or bay that isopen on one or more sides. The holes 44 and variations thereof provideyet another way to flexibly and easily alter the acoustic properties ofthe club head as well as create discretionary mass savings that can bestrategically located elsewhere on the club head body to increase MOIand enhance performance.

FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative embodiment having a strike plate 14j, sole 22 j, cover or upper crown 24 j, and inverted aft skirt portion26 j. This embodiment is similar to the FIG. 10 embodiment in that thecrown 24 j and sole 22 j both have inverted ends to form the invertedaft skirt portion 26 j and are joined to one another at an internal lapjoint by adhesion (or other known fastening means). The crown 24 jpreferably is a separate piece made from a composite or otherlightweight material. Unlike the FIG. 10 embodiment, however, theinverted end of the sole 22 j does not join a lower stepped-down crownstructure to create two interior chambers. Rather, the crown 24 j, sole22 j, and inverted aft portion 26 j define a single enclosed interiorchamber. The interior chamber may be provided with one or more ribs,such as arcuate ribs 56, 58 shown in FIG. 11. The rib 54 preferably iscoupled at one end to the crown 24 j and its other end to an invertedend portion of the crown 24 j (by adhesive bonding for example).Similarly, the rib 56 may be coupled at one end to the sole 22 j and atits other end to an inverted end extension of the sole 22 j. The ribsare used to provide reinforcement within the club body where desired aswell as to adjust or tune the acoustic properties of the club head.

It will be appreciated that the inverted aft skirt portion 26 j may bemodified to have various configurations. For example, in FIG. 11 theinverted aft skirt portion 26 j is shown having a truncated invertedsole that stops short of extending rearwardly as far as the invertedcrown. Thus, the inverted crown forming part of the inverted aft skirtportion overhangs the truncated sole in the example shown.

FIG. 12 is a toe side view of an embodiment very similar to FIG. 8, andshowing the strike plate 14 g, sole 22 g, step-down crown 24 g, andshroud 30 g. FIG. 12 also shows the hosel 16 used to attach the clubhead to a shaft. FIG. 12 shows a variation of the FIG. 8 embodiment inwhich a sole slot 58 is provided in the sole 22 g. The sole slot 58 maybe used to house adjustable weights or other performance enhancingfeatures.

For example, in certain embodiments of the present invention the golfclub head may be attached to the shaft via a removable head-shaftconnection assembly as described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No.8,303,431, the entire contents of which are incorporated by referenceherein in their entirety. Further in certain embodiments, the golf clubhead may also incorporate features that provide the golf club headsand/or golf clubs with the ability not only to replaceably connect theshaft to the head but also to adjust the loft and/or the lie angle ofthe club by employing a removable head-shaft connection assembly. Suchan adjustable lie/loft connection assembly is described in more detailin U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,025,587, 8,235,831, 8,337,319, as well as U.S.Publication No. 2011/0312437A1, U.S. Publication No. 2012/0258818A1,U.S. Publication No. 2012/0122601A1, U.S. Publication No. 2012/0071264A1as well as U.S. application Ser. No. 13/686,677, filed on Nov. 27, 2012,the entire contents of which patent, publications and application areincorporated in their entirety by reference herein.

FIG. 13 is a top view of the club head of FIG. 12 and shows the strikeplate 14 g, hosel 16 and shroud 30 g. It also illustrates the toe region20, heel region 18 and aft skirt portion 26 g of the club head.

The foregoing embodiments provide a highly-positioned crown or shroud toprovide a desirable aerodynamic profile for the club head, whilemaintaining a relatively low CG despite the high crown's (or shroud's)influence on the CG to the contrary. The modest mass of thehighly-located shroud/upper crown is offset or countered by providing alightweight shroud having a mass less than a traditional crown,extending the shroud or crown to have a peripheral edge with a low GPDvalue such that a portion of the shroud/crown's peripheral surface areais nearer to the ground plane at address position than traditionalcrowns, providing a flatter sole such that a larger portion of thesole's expanse is maintained in contact with or nearer the ground planeat address position, and/or providing a (lower) crown that steps downsuch that a large portion of the lower crown's mass is positioned muchlower relative to the ground plane compared to traditional crowns. Inthis way, a relatively low and desirable CG can be achieved even with ahighly situated upper crown or shroud in place to promote desirable airflow and aerodynamic properties during the golf swing.

While the foregoing description has been provided in the context of adriver-type golf club head, it will be appreciated that the principlesand teachings herein may be applied to other types of “metal-woods,”such as fairway wood or hybrid club heads.

It also will be appreciated that each of the disclosed embodiments canbe used in combination with other club head features such as solechannels, movable weights, adjustable shafts and the like. For example,the embodiments disclosed may be used in combination with slidablerepositionable weights positioned in the sole and/or skirt.

Among other advantages, a slidably repositionable weight facilitates theability of the end user of the golf club to adjust the location of theCG of the club head over a range of locations relating to the positionof the repositionable weight. Further detail concerning the slidablyrepositionable weight feature is provided in more detail in U.S. Pat.Nos. 7,775,905 and 8,444,505 and U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/898,313 filed on May 20, 2013, U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.62/020,972, filed Jul. 3, 2014, and U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/047,880 filed on Oct. 7, 2013, the entire contents of each of whichare hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, as wellthe contents of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0080622 and U.S. PatentPublication No. 2014/0080628, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

By way of example, FIG. 14 illustrates an alternative embodiment havinga strike plate 14 k, sole 22 k, step-down crown 24 k, and aft skirtportion 26 k, which bears some similarity to the embodiment of FIG. 10.In addition, a slidable weight feature 61 is provided in the sole 22 kand proximate to the strike plate 14 k. The crown 24 k, like crown 24 i,preferably is an integral extension of the main club head body and stepsdown steeply as it extends rearwardly toward the aft skirt portion 26 kand eventually joins sole 22 k. The crown 24 k has a steep downwardlyextending section that turns at an obtuse angle to join a relativelyflat aft section. Though not an arcuate surface like other embodiments,the crown 24 k still presents a substantially convex-like surface to aprimary interior chamber 62 of the club head.

A composite shroud 60 extends rearwardly from a turned upper edge of thestrike plate 14 k to provide a smooth, continuous and relatively highsurface to give the club head a desirable aerodynamic profile. Theshroud 60 is inverted at the aft end and its end is attached to thecrown 24 k at an internal lap joint. The inverted shroud 60 defines anenclosed secondary interior chamber 64 that at least partially overliesthe primary interior chamber 62. The sole 22 k may be provided with athickened aft portion 66 to provide additional mass low and aft in theclub head and thereby desirably shift the overall CG of the club headstill lower and more rearward.

FIGS. 15-17 illustrate an alternative embodiment of a two-piece golfclub head having a laterally adjustable weight located in a forward soleportion of the club head and a fixed weight located in a rear soleportion of the club head.

FIG. 15A is a perspective view of the club head which includes a strikeplate 68, strike plate frame or main body 70, sole 72 (FIG. 15C), shroud74, hosel 76 and aft skirt portion 78 (FIG. 15B). It also illustratesthe head's toe region 80 and opposite heel region 82 proximate to thehosel 76.

FIG. 15B is a heel-side elevation view illustrating that the aft skirtportion 78 and remainder of the skirt portion which wraps around the toeand heel regions of the head may be recessed or inverted (in oneembodiment) relative to the full width and depth of the shroud 74. Inother words, the shroud 74 may overhang portions of the skirt portion.The head also includes a forwardly-located lateral weight track 84 inthe sole in close proximity to the strike plate 68 for mounting one ormore laterally adjustable weights 86 a, 86 b.

FIG. 15C is a bottom plan view of the head's sole portion and provides amore detailed view of the lateral weight track 84 and adjustable weights86 a, 86 b. If two weights are mounted in the weight track, each may bemounted in various positions closer to or farther from the toe region orheel region. For example, both weights may be secured in place in themiddle of the weight track as shown, at one end of the track on the toeside, at one end of the track on the heel side, at opposite spaced apartends of the track or in other spaced apart locations therebetween toadjust the flight characteristics of the ball. FIG. 15C also illustratesthat the club head may include an adjustable lie/loft connectionassembly having an adjustment screw 88, as described above.

FIG. 15D is a vertical cross-sectional view taken generally along line15D-15D of FIG. 15C. The club head includes a lowered or drop-down crown90 underlying the shroud 74. The crown 90 preferably has a forward flatsection 90 a, relatively steeply sloped intermediate section 90 b andless steeply sloped rear section 90 c. In one example, the rear sectionmay include a rearmost tail section having one or more angled segmentsto join the crown to the sole and/or skirt of the head. The crownpreferably presents a generally convex surface to the head's enclosedprimary interior chamber 91. The shroud 74 preferably encloses asecondary interior chamber 93 which generally overlies the primaryinterior chamber and may have an enclosed interior volume of about 20 to50% of the primary interior's volume.

The intermediate and/or rear section may be perforated to remove massfrom the crown 90 while maintaining the crown's integrity as astructural support member of the club head. The perforations (not shown)can have various sizes, shapes and locations to free up discretionarymass that can be allocated elsewhere.

The forward crown section 90 a preferably is an integral extension ofthe strike plate frame 70, and is secured by adhesion or otherwise to aforward segment of the shroud 74. The rear section 90 c of the crown 90preferably is joined by adhesion or otherwise to a rear portion of theshroud 74 which is bent backwardly on itself (i.e., inverted) to form acavity or recess at the aft skirt portion 78. The shroud may have othershapes and configurations and may not have an inverted skirt section atall.

FIG. 15D illustrates adjustable weight 86 b as a one-piece weight but,as described above, weight 86 b preferably is a two-piece weight inwhich each piece is releasable fastened together so as to form opposingchannels that slideably engage a pair of opposing rails or tracks formedby the weight track 84, with one of the weight pieces located in achamber above the rails and the other located in a chamber below therails. A fixed weight 92 is shown removably fastened, such as bythreaded engagement, to the sole portion via an opening located at agenerally centered, rear location in the sole portion of the club head.

FIG. 15E is an exploded perspective view from above showing the mainbody or strike plate frame 70 as one piece including the strike plate68, sole 72 and crown 90, and the shroud 74 as a second piece. Theperipheral edges (i.e., top, side and rear edges) of the crownpreferably are recessed slightly to form a ledge or shelf to receivecorresponding edges of the shroud, such that the shroud surface forms asmooth, continuous transition of the shroud's outer surface with head'smain body/frame. The two pieces may be joined together by adhesion orother secure fastening technique. The first piece (main body or strikeplate frame) may be made from various materials as described herein butin one preferred embodiment is cast in one piece from a metal alloy(such as titanium alloy, steel alloy, aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy)to provide a strong structural framework or support for the strike plateto withstand the loading caused by a ball impact. The second piece(shroud) may be made from various materials as described herein but inone preferred embodiment may be made from a lightweight material such asa composite material, GFRP, CFRP, MMC, or other polymers, includingthermosetting materials, copolymers and elastomers, thereby freeing updiscretionary mass to be strategically located elsewhere on the clubhead (such as low and rearward in the head body) while providing arelative high “phantom” crown-like surface to promote positiveaerodynamic properties and a traditional “look” to the club head fromabove.

The head may be provided with interior ribs in the primary or secondaryinterior chambers to provide enhanced structural support and rigidityand/or desirable acoustic properties. For example, ribs 94 a, 94 bpreferably are joined as part of the original cast piece (oralternatively by welding or other fastening techniques) to differentportions of the crown 90, such as intermediate section 90 b and rearsection 90 c. As such, the ribs 94 a, 94 b are located in the secondaryinterior chamber 93. However, ribs in various shapes and sizes may belocated in the primary interior chamber and/or at other sites in thesecondary interior chamber. Also, the ribs may be perforated to free upmass that may be allocated elsewhere.

As shown in FIGS. 15D and 15E, in one exemplary embodiment at least 50%of the crown 90's front to back length (or depth) is located below ageometric center of the strike plate 68. In other examples, at least30%, at least 40% or at least 60% of the crown's front to back depth islocated below the geometric center of the strike plate. For definitionalpurposes, a “shroud” is a structure that overlies at least a portion ofthe crown to cover, cloak, shelter or overlie the crown. The shroudprovides a phantom crown-like surface that serves less to providestructural support and reinforcement for the head, and more to provide ahighly favorable aerodynamic surface which also looks like a moretypical club head profile (especially when viewed from above). The termslowered crown, step-down crown and drop crown refer to a non-traditionalcrown that steps down or drops down from the profile of a traditionalcrown. Traditional crowns generally present a large concave surface tothe primary interior chamber of the club head, whereas a lowered,step-down or drop crown presents a generally convex surface to theinterior chamber due to a preferably early and significant height dropin the crown surface as the surface extends from the front of the headto the rear.

In some embodiments at least a portion of the shroud overlies at least50%, 60%, 70%, 80% or 90% of the crown's length (or depth) in the frontto back direction (i.e., Y axis).

In some preferred embodiments, the golf club head preferably has a Delta1 of about 8 to 28 mm, preferably about 11 to 25 mm, and more preferablyabout 14 to 22 mm. As one example, the head may have a Delta 1 of 16.1mm. Delta 1 is a measure of how far rearward the head's CG is located inthe “y” axis. The Delta 1 distance is measured along the “y” axis from avertical plane passing through the hosel axis. Put another way, Delta 1is the distance between the CG and hosel axis along the “y” axis (in adirection straight toward the back of the body of the club face from thegeometric center of the striking face).

In some embodiments, the head preferably has a CG Projection of about −3to 7 mm, more preferably about −1 to 5 mm, and most preferably about 0to 4 mm. As one example, the head may have a CG Projection of 0.45 mm.CG Projection is a projection of the head's CG on to the head's strikingsurface that intersects with a line that is normal to the tangent lineof the ball striking surface and passes through the CG. A positivenumber indicates that the CG Projection is above the geometric center ofthe face, and a negative number indicates that the CG Projection isbelow the geometric center of the face.

In some embodiments, the head has a CGz of about 2 to −10 mm, preferablyabout 0 to −8 mm, and most preferably about −2 to −6 mm. In one example,the head has a CGz of about −5.2 mm. CGz is the location of the head'sCG on the “z” axis.

In some embodiments, the head has a Z-up of about 20 to 36 mm,preferably about 23 to 33 mm, and most preferably about 25 to 31 mm. Inone example, the head may have a Z-up of about 24.7 mm. Z-up is ameasure of the CG's distance from the ground plane (GP).

In some embodiments, the head may have Ixx and Izz of about 200 to 450kg·mm² and 300 to 600 kg·mm² respectively; more preferably 230 to 390kg·mm² and 330 to 530 kg·mm² respectively; and most preferably 260 to320 kg·mm² and 360 to 490 kg·mm² respectively. In one example, the headmay have respective Ixx and Izz of about 283 kg·mm² and 385 kg·mm². Asdescribed above, Ixx and Izz are measures of the club head's MOIrelative to respective X and Z axes.

FIGS. 16 and 17 are respective top and front views of the club head ofFIGS. 15A to 15E, with a portion of the crown removed. As shown in FIG.16, the head has a drop contour area (CA) 96 on the crown which servesas a measurement indicator of favorable aerodynamic properties. The CAis described more fully in U.S. Pat. No. 8,858,359, the contents ofwhich are incorporated herein in their entirety, including column 19,line 50 to column 20, line 8.

In summary, the CA is a relatively flat portion of the crown surroundingthe apex of the crown (i.e., highest point of the crown in a certainorientation) and aids in keeping airflow attached to the club head(i.e., laminar flow) once it flows over the crown prior to and past thedrop contour crown apex. The CA is determined by slicing the crown witha horizontal plane spaced 8 mm below the apex of the crown when thecrown is pitched upward about a centerface tangent to a pitch angle of12 degrees, as described more fully in U.S. Pat. No. 8,858,359. As sooriented, the peak height or apex of the crown is located, and ahorizontal drop plane is located parallel to and 8 mm below the crownapex. An area CA (96 in FIG. 16) within an intersection of the plane andcrown is measured. The CA 96 is a measurement of the “footprint” area ofthe portion of the crown removed by the horizontal plane intersectingthe crown, as FIG. 16 illustrates. FIG. 16 also shows portions of thestep-down crown (or drop crown).

FIG. 17 shows the horizontal “slice” taken from the crown, as viewedfrom the front and slightly above the club head when the slice isremoved.

In some embodiments, the head has a CA of 1600 to 7800 mm², morepreferably 3000 to 6000 mm², and most preferably 4000 to 5000 mm².

In one example, the CA may be 4724 mm², the CGZ is −5.2 mm, the Z-up is24.7 mm, Ixx is 283 kg-mm², and Izz 385 kg-mm2

It has been discovered that favorable CA properties in combination witha low strategically placed CG and one or more other features describedherein provide a club head with very favorable aerodynamic and ballstriking performance, including favorable forgiveness characteristics onmishits.

The components of the embodiments disclosed herein can be formed fromany of various suitable metals, metal alloys, polymers, composites, orvarious combinations thereof.

In addition to those noted elsewhere herein, examples of metals andmetal alloys that can be used to form the components include, withoutlimitation, carbon steels (e.g., 1020 or 8620 carbon steel), stainlesssteels (e.g., 304 or 410 stainless steel), PH (precipitation-hardenable)alloys (e.g., 17-4, C450, or C455 alloys), titanium alloys (e.g., 3-2.5,6-4, SP700, 15-3-3-3, 10-2-3, or other alpha/near alpha, alpha-beta, andbeta/near beta titanium alloys), aluminum/aluminum alloys (e.g., 3000series alloys, 5000 series alloys, 6000 series alloys, such as 6061-T6,and 7000 series alloys, such as 7075), magnesium alloys, copper alloys,nickel alloys, and tungsten.

Examples of composites that can be used to form the components include,without limitation, glass fiber reinforced polymers (GFRP), carbon fiberreinforced polymers (CFRP), metal matrix composites (MMC), ceramicmatrix composites (CMC), and natural composites (e.g., wood composites).

Examples of polymers that can be used to form the components include,without limitation, thermoplastic materials (e.g., polyethylene,polypropylene, polystyrene, acrylic, PVC, ABS, polycarbonate,polyurethane, polyphenylene oxide (PPO), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS),polyether block amides, nylon, and engineered thermoplastics),thermosetting materials (e.g., polyurethane, epoxy, and polyester),copolymers, and elastomers (e.g., natural or synthetic rubber, EPDM, andTeflon®).

The designs, embodiments and features described herein may be combinedwith other club head features and technologies including:

-   -   1) movable weight features described in more detail in U.S. Pat.        Nos. 6,773,360, 7,166,040, 7,452,285, 7,628,707, 7,186,190,        7,591,738, 7,963,861, 7,621,823, 7,448,963, 7,568,985,        7,578,753, 7,717,804, 7,717,805, 7,530,904, 7,540,811,        7,407,447, 7,632,194, 7,846,041, 7,419,441, 7,713,142,        7,744,484, 7,223,180, 7,410,425 and 7,410,426, the entire        contents of each of which are incorporated by reference in their        entirety herein;    -   2) slidable weight features described in more detail in U.S.        Pat. Nos. 7,775,905 and 8,444,505, U.S. patent application Ser.        No. 13/898,313 filed on May 20, 2013, U.S. patent application        Ser. No. 14/047,880 filed on Oct. 7, 2013, the entire contents        of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in        their entirety;    -   3) variable thickness face features described in more detail in        U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/006,060, U.S. Pat. Nos.        6,997,820, 6,800,038, and 6,824,475, which are incorporated        herein by reference in their entirety;    -   4) composite face plate features described in more detail in        U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/998,435, 11/642,310,        11/825,138, 11/823,638, 12/004,386, 12/004,387, 11/960,609,        11/960,610 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,620, which are herein        incorporated by reference in their entirety;    -   5) aerodynamic shape features described in more detail in U.S.        Patent Publication No. 2013/0123040A1, the entire contents of        which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety;    -   6) removable shaft features described in more detail in U.S.        Pat. No. 8,303,431, the contents of which are incorporated by        reference herein in in their entirety;    -   7) adjustable loft/lie features described in more detail in U.S.        Pat. Nos. 8,025,587, 8,235,831, 8,337,319, U.S. Patent        Publication No. 2011/0312437A1, U.S. Patent Publication No.        2012/0258818A1, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0122601A1, U.S.        Patent Publication No. 2012/0071264A1, U.S. patent application        Ser. No. 13/686,677, the entire contents of which are        incorporated by reference herein in their entirety; and    -   8) adjustable sole features described in more detail in U.S.        Pat. No. 8,337,319, U.S. Patent Publication Nos.        US2011/0152000A1, US2011/0312437, US2012/0122601A1, and U.S.        patent application Ser. No. 13/686,677, the entire contents of        each of which are incorporated by reference herein in their        entirety.

In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of thedisclosed invention may be applied, it should be recognized that theillustrated embodiments are only preferred examples of the invention andshould not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Rather, thescope of the invention is defined by the following claims. We thereforeclaim as our invention all that comes within the scope and spirit ofthese claims.

We claim:
 1. A golf club head comprising: a body including an uppersurface facing upwardly when the club head is in a normal addressposition, a sole surface facing downwardly when the club head is in thenormal address position, a face positioned at a front of the club head,a rear portion distal from the face, a skirt defining a transition areaalong the periphery of the upper surface and sole surface where theupper surface transitions to the sole surface, a heel side having ahosel to which a golf shaft may be attached and a toe side opposite theheel side; the body including a composite member defining at least asubstantial portion of the upper surface and wrapping around the skirtto define at least a portion of the sole surface; and the body includinga metal member separate from the composite member, which is formed fromeither a metal or metal alloy, and defines at least in part the solesurface.
 2. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the metal member islocated in part proximate to the face along the upper surface and solesurface.
 3. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein a portion of the metalmember is located proximate to the face along the upper surface, toeside, heel side and sole surface to form a frame around the face.
 4. Thegolf club head of claim 1 wherein the metal member supports a lateralweight track on the sole surface proximate to the face and at least onemoveable weight slidably receivable within the weight track.
 5. The golfclub head of claim 1 wherein the metal member supports a lateral weighttrack on the sole surface proximate to the face and at least onemoveable weight slidably receivable within the weight track, and alsosupports at least one fixed weight member located on the sole surface atthe rear portion.
 6. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the metalmember defines a portion of the upper surface proximate to the face andthe composite member is a one-piece component joined to the metal memberand defining the remainder of the upper surface.
 7. The golf club headof claim 1 wherein the metal member includes a portion on the soleextending from the face to the rear portion.
 8. The golf club head ofclaim 1 wherein the sole surface includes heel-side and toe-sidesurfaces which are recessed relative to a central portion of the solesurface therebetween.
 9. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the metalmember includes an adjustment port on the heel side proximate to theface to facilitate adjustment of the club head's orientation relative tothe golf shaft connected thereto.
 10. The golf club head of claim 1wherein the club head has a Delta 1 of about 11 to 25 mm.
 11. The golfclub head of claim 1 wherein the club head has a CG Projection of about−1 to 5 mm.
 12. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the club head hasa CG_(z) of about −1 to −6 mm.
 13. The golf club head of claim 1 whereinthe club head has a moment of inertia I_(xx) relative to an x-axis ofabout 260 to 320 Kg·mm² and a moment of inertia I_(zz) relative to az-axis of about 360 to 490 Kg·mm².
 14. A golf club head comprising: abody including a toe side, a heel side opposite the toe side, aball-striking face located at a front portion of the body, a rearportion distal from the face, an upper surface, a lower sole surface anda skirt transition area between the upper surface and lower solesurface; a metal frame member formed at least in part from a metalalloy, the frame member having a first portion proximate to theball-striking face to support the ball-striking face along the uppersurface, lower sole surface, heel side and toe side of the ball-strikingface, the metal frame member further including a portion extendingcentrally from the front portion of the lower sole surface to the rearportion of the sole surface; a composite member joined to the metalframe member and forming in part the upper surface and sole surface, thecomposite member extending from the upper surface and around the skirtarea to the sole surface.
 15. The golf club head of claim 14 wherein thecomposite member is a one-piece component.
 16. The golf club head ofclaim 14 wherein the ball-striking face is integrally joined to theframe member.
 17. The golf club head of claim 14 wherein the metal framemember supports a lateral weight track proximate to the ball-strikingface on the sole surface and at least one moveable weight slidablyreceivable within the weight track.
 18. The golf club head of claim 14wherein the metal member supports a lateral weight track on the solesurface proximate to the face and at least one moveable weight slidablyreceivable within the weight track and also supports at least one fixedweight member located on the sole surface and at the rear portion. 19.The golf club head of claim 15 wherein the metal member supports alateral weight track on the sole surface proximate to the face and atleast one moveable weight slidably receivable within the weight trackand also supports at least one fixed weight member located on the solesurface and at the rear portion.
 20. The golf club head of claim 14wherein the sole surface includes heel-side and toe-side surfaces whichare recessed relative to the central sole surface therebetween.